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Student body reflects Garden City's diversity
Published 9/12/2009 in GCCC Anniversary
By RACHAEL GRAY
Garden City Community College's diverse enrollment doesn't stand out as much in an area like Finney County, where the majority of the population is made up of minority groups.
But student population with different ages, sexes, races and cultures can be important to college life, both inside the classroom and out, Ryan Ruda, dean of student services, said.
In the past five years the makeup of GCCC's student body has been different, with different male-to-female student ratios, larger percentages of students who are minorities and more out-of-state students. The number of nontraditional students, or older students, has declined.
In 2005, with a student body of 2,301 students, 1,194 were female and 1,107 were male. Students older than 25 made up 31.6 percent of the student population. Hispanics made up the largest minority group at 20.3 percent. Eight percent of students were from out of state.
In 2008, with a total student body of 1,984 students, 1,045 were female and 939 were male. Twenty-seven percent of the student body was older than 25. Hispanics still made up the largest minority group at 25.5 percent. Out-of-state students made up 13.2 percent of the enrollment.
Ruda stressed the importance of diversity in the GCCC student population.
"It's my personal belief that diversity gives students a way of interaction and understanding. They learn about others prior to entering the work force. They learn about different life experiences and learn everyone has hurdles in their lives. It's different depending on what those may be," Ruda said.
He said nontraditional students have a reluctance to come back to school with 18- and 19-year-olds.
"They should know they're not judged based upon age. The college is a very accepting environment," he said.
Ruda called a college campus with diversity a "win-win" situation because it exposes groups to each other and creates discussion among the student body.
Because of GCCC's location in Finney County, Ruda said, the college doesn't have acceptance issues of a diverse student body that other colleges in different locations may have. He said when he attends conferences where officials from other schools have concerns about student involvement and interaction, they often ask Ruda for advice. He said he refers to the involvement of student groups at GCCC. He said GCCC has black, Hispanic, Asian and nontraditional student groups.
"Everyone has their own experiences and struggles. And everyone has similarities," Ruda said.
Oralia Trejo, sophomore, Garden City, is a minority student from Mexico who attends GCCC. She said she moved to Garden City when she was 6 and went to Garden City High School, but said she still has problems with English.
"My English is OK, it's not perfect," she said. "At the college, they never tell me no. They've had a lot of patience with me. I need special help and tutoring."
She said college staff help find scholarships for those in financial need, including herself.
In addition to the learning and financial assistance, Trejo said she enjoys the diversity of the student body at the college.
"I have friends from Vietnam, China, Peru, Somalia, everywhere. It's not just one culture here. People come from different places," she said. "I like sharing and learning new things from different people."
Brittany DeGagne, sophomore, British Colombia, Canada, is an international student at GCCC. DeGagne plays volleyball for the Broncbusters. She studies science and is a pre-law major. DeGagne said she had considered several other colleges but decided to come to Garden City.
"I like the small community. Everyone is always there for you," DeGagne said.
She said her coaches, teammates and international advisors go out of their way to make her feel at home.
"I'm happy here," she said. "I know I didn't make a mistake."
On the Web:
Listen to a podcast of Steve Quakenbush, information services director with Garden City Community College, discussing the history of the college and Sunday's 90th anniversary celebration at GCTelegram.com/podcasts.
Garden City Community College: www.gcccks.edu
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